A little change of pace

Posted by Andrew

I hadn't made an "authentic" Chinese fried noodle dish for a while now, so last night I decided that I'd make some Shanghai-Style Fried Noodles for dinner tonight. I still had some raw frozen shrimp in my freezer, and during my daytrip to Winnipeg on Saturday I managed to get some pork tenderloin and Shanghai bok choy... perfect! Being true to my culinary philosophy, I made this without a recipe and relied on my memory on how similar dishes I've had tasted like. So, without further ado, here's my adaptation of one of my favourite noodle dishes (measurements approximate, mind you).

Shanghai-Style Fried Noodles

• 1 ~500g package of Shanghai thick noodles


• Large handful of raw medium-sized shrimp


• 1/5 to 1/4 of a pork tenderloin, shredded


• 2 bunches of Shanghai bok choy*


• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped


• ~1 tablespoon cooking oil


• ~1.5 tablespoons oyster sauce


• ~1 tablespoon dark soya sauce


• ~2 teaspoons sesame oil for aroma (optional)


• Salt & pepper to taste

* If Shanghai bok choy is not available, substitute with ~1/4 head of cabbage, shredded.

1. Chop the Shanghai bok choy into bite-sized pieces. Separate the thicker, larger stalk pieces from the leaves and the inner, more tender stalks.


2. Cook the package of noodles in a pot of boiling water and drain after a few minutes. Cooking instructions normally are on the packaging, please follow accordingly.


3. Add the cooking oil to a pre-heated wok (or another pot) over medium-high heat, making sure the entire bottom and a bit of the sides are coated.


4. Toss in the garlic, shrimp and pork, stir-fry for about 2 minutes. You may need to add a splash of water to prevent sticking and/or burning.


5. Add only the pieces of thicker Shanghai bok choy stalks, toss the ingredients, cover wok and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. If necessary, add another splash of water before covering wok. (If using cabbage, add all the shredded cabbage to the mix, cover and let cook for about 4-5 minutes; skip Step 6 as it does not apply to cabbage.)


6. Remove lid and add remaining pieces of bok choy. Toss ingredients, cover wok and let cook for about 2 minutes.


7. Remove lid and add the cooked noodles to the wok. After briefly tossing the ingredients, add the sesame oil (if desired) and oyster sauce. Toss again until sesame oil and oyster sauce are evenly mixed.


8. Reduce heat to medium and add the dark soya sauce. Toss again until the dark soya sauce coats the mixture evenly. Add salt and/or pepper to taste and serve.